Tuesday, January 14, 2025

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1/ Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report made clear that Trump has not been exonerated for his “unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to retain power” and that the evidence would have secured a conviction had the case gone to trial. Smith’s 137-page report, released early Tuesday, detailed Trump’s alleged actions, including how he “inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence” on Jan. 6 and knowingly spread “demonstrably and, in many cases, obviously false” claims of voter fraud. The prosecution, however, was dropped due to Trump’s 2024 reelection and longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the indictment of sitting presidents. Smith wrote, “Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.” Smith’s report also directly countered Trump’s claims of political bias: “To all who know me well, the claim from Mr. Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.” Smith emphasized that the investigation adhered strictly to facts and the law, asserting, “My Office had one north star: to follow the facts and law wherever they led. Nothing more and nothing less.” Trump, meanwhile, dismissed the report as a “political hit job,” repeating his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud while accusing Smith of failing to bring the case to trial before the election. Nevertheless, Smith defended the effort, stating, “While we were not able to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters.” (Politico / NPR / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / The Guardian / Axios)

2/ Special Counsel David Weiss criticized Biden for calling the prosecution of his son, Hunter Biden, politically motivated, arguing that such statements “undermine the public’s confidence in our criminal justice system.” Weiss’s final report defended his investigation, which led to convictions for tax evasion and firearms charges before Biden pardoned his son. The report dismissed claims of political bias and emphasized that the prosecutions adhered to principles of equal justice. Hunter Biden’s attorney, meanwhile, called the investigation “a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power.” (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times)

3/ Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, faced a contentious confirmation hear...

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